A Love Beyond Reality
by Gibson18
Summary: The group stays a night in Death Peak as they make their way to the summit. During the night Ayla suffers from horrible dreams. This takes place before Crono's revival. Rated PG for kissing scenes. Pretty innocent stuff. Please R&R.


_**A Love Beyond Reality**_

By: Gibson22

A blinding light was the last thing she remembered of her dear friend…

Ayla twisted and turned in her sleep as she relived a nightmare once again. It had been reoccurring for several months. Make no mistake about this strong-willed, determined woman; she was as brave as any other woman you would meet in your lifetime. She was a leader of a tribe that fought resolutely against a horde of beasts that were bent on their destruction. Never once did she flinch in a fight. Her strength was unmatched and she never feared death for a moment. She was as strong as she was beautiful. She was dazzling all-around.

"Crono…"

She whimpered in her sleep like a baby. Her fists curled just as they had done that fateful day when she realized her own mortality. It was the day when the only one stronger than her had died in a blinding flash. Just like the countless nights before, beads of tears rolled down her cheek as her mind forced her to witness the death of her friend again. She was twitching now and she could hear her heartbeat in her sleep. The dream was so real that it was no different than that horrible spectacle that she wished she didn't have to see, but could not ignore.

Crono was scratched and bleeding profusely, but he still arose. The rest of the party was sprawled out on the floor, ready to be assimilated by a hellish demon for unknown purposes. An evil woman cackled as their bodies slowly slid towards the eye of the demon. There was a noise much like metal scrapping against stone, as Crono had drawn his sword. Even the queen was speechless for a moment, but her vision of victory was far from being shattered. Her surprise quickly twisted into a sardonic smile. Her voice was shrill with insanity, "So, you wish to face the great Lavos? Then die!"

All eyes were on the youth who was wobbling like an old man. Even their enemy (in times before) had turned to face him respectfully as he lay, crippled on the ground. A bright light flashed, but it was only a prelude to the pain. A bolt of energy surged throughout his body as the queen cackled maniacally. Even as he went through a torment of unimaginable proportions, he turned to face his friends. It was impossible to even think that he could have the strength to smile, but Ayla and her friends constantly swore to themselves that at that moment he smiled in a melancholy sort of way. As she saw that smile, she began to bawl like an infant, and that's when the screaming began…

A beam of pure, concentrated energy flew from the eye of Lavos. Crono did not flinch nor did he falter; but with arms outspread, he took it with an agonizing, ear-splitting scream. Little did the queen know, it was a distraction. As the party reflected on it later (this was always an unpleasantry for them), Crono had bid enough time to summon up enough power from the pendant for an escape. He knew that it would be at the cost of his life. Why would he give them such a sad, knowing smile before he met his end if that was not his intention? The screaming continued and continued until another light engulfed the party which became brighter and brighter…Then, suddenly, it all faded into darkness…

That's when Ayla woke up…

The wind beat upon the flaps of the tent. She was no longer in that vortex or in the undersea palace, but in a tent on the most god-forsaken place they had traveled thus far: Death's Peak. She had bolted upright as she awoke from her dream. She had shouted out Crono's name as well, but thankfully it seemed like she hadn't woke up her companions. Her cheeks felt wet and sticky from the barrage of tears. She sniffed as she wiped away what was left and laid back down. It was cold and she didn't want to be conscious of it for long, but she feared that if she went to sleep now, she would have that same dream. Tears still came as she buried the side of her face into a pillow, staring at the side of the tent.

She sighed, realizing that if her former self were to see her it would mean a chastising. This woman, who was as self-confident as anyone in existence, was crying like a baby. All those months ago, when she first met Crono, she was amazed at his strength. This strange man, who had come from someplace distant and who had wore strange clothes that nobody has ever seen before, was quick to destroy those same beasts that threatened her people's existence. Was she attracted to him at the moment? Yes, but only diminutively. As they sojourned together with the rest of the party and did many other great things, her feelings had begun to grow in such a way that calling him a friend simply did not sit well with her. Also, when Crono had sacrificed himself, demonstrated the extent of his earnest nature, Ayla realized the same thing that all the others had realized too late. She loved him.

Now, the reader can discern for himself if this was only because of his sacrifice, or if it was the unbridled truth, but anyway you describe it, her feelings were strong. She was now certain that Crono was stronger than she was. That question, being solved, was of no use to her now. It only presented a bigger problem. It was a problem that had began to stir an emotion that she never felt before. If Crono (strong as he was) died so easily, how much easier would it be for Ayla to die? The battle-hardened warrior began to contemplate death for the first time in her life after Crono's death. All those times she fought, she never feared death and it never seemed possible. If they were to pursue this demon, would she meet the same fate as her dearest friend? A frightening realistic image appeared in her head that was much the same as Crono's death, only she was the sufferer. It sent chills down her spine and she whimpered again as more tears came. (That is, if they ever stopped).

Everything was a dark, bluish-gray. It was still night time, and Ayla had not been able to sleep since that dream. She was curled into a ball as she lay under thick, blankets. Her companions, although they would mumble slightly as they dreamed, still continued sleeping. It felt like hours since she woke up with that uncomfortable cold sweat. The blankets that were so comfortable when she sunk into them yesterday were hot and stuffy at that moment. Between that and her vivid fear of death, she was as uncomfortable in body and soul as she had ever been.

She needed to get out for a moment.

She crept as silently as she could and undid the flaps of the tent. A bitterly cold wind filled the tent, but it still wasn't enough to wake her friends. "They must be exhausted." Ayla thought to herself, with a sigh of sympathy. She stepped out of the tent and into the cold of Death Peak. It was a forsaken, yet beautiful place. Its thick snow covered everything in sight and the withered trees, (although eerie at first) made soothing noises as they waved to and fro. Snowflakes constantly drifted over her, barely touching down and they would take off again with the wind to settle down somewhere else. The cold felt good at the moment compared to the stuffy, humid heat of her blankets. She sighed comfortably as she sat down on a rock that was a few yards from camp.

"Ayla."

She was started, thinking that only she was the one that was awake. She leapt to her feet at her name and spun around to face whoever called for her. To her surprise, nobody was there. Her heart beat wildly, thinking that perhaps it was a ghost or something supernatural. The voice sounded so familiar as well that it caused random thoughts to appear in her head. After a minute or so, no longer hearing a voice, she sat down back on the rock, but looked around the area.

Suddenly, the most chilling sensation came over her. A hand was resting on her shoulder. She was so frightened that she dare not turn around. Whatever creepy, impish ghoul stood behind her, she did not wish to see it. Her heartbeat was racing and she shuddered as she breathed. The grip tightened slightly, but it wasn't cold anymore, but it felt warm and gentle. She began to gather her courage and suppressed her urge to scream. As she turned around, she was surprised to see a head full of messy red hair, with concerned apple-green eyes.

"Ayla, what are you doing out here?"

A squeal of pure joy was what came out of Ayla instead of a scream. She leapt from her rock and pounced on the figure, embracing him in a tight hug. As they landed on the snow she began to kiss his cheek fervently as tears poured from her eyes. "You're alive! You're alive! We all thought that you were dead! I can't believe it! You returned! But how-?" They rolled around in the snow as they both laughed. She reveled in her joy, kissing him the way she dared not kiss him while the others were around and it all seemed surreal. Then suddenly she stopped as some depressing thought came over her, and in the instant she thought of it, the whole truth dawned on her. She slowly got to her feet while the object of her affections lay down on the snow. "It's a dream…isn't it?"

"Yes…I'm sorry to say that it is…"

Ayla sunk down on the same rock as her joy left her. However, not all of it had left. She should have realized that it was a dream. She would not express such emotion so quickly in real life. Even if he did come back at that moment, if she were awake she could not have acted the way that she did; she was too shy and unprepared to tell him yet…But in this place, where the thoughts and desires of her heart could roam unbridled, she was able to express herself as she truly was. She looked at the figure that still remained on the ground, "Crono…I thought you had come back to us…I'm so embarrassed…"

Crono stood up, brushing the snow off of his self as he walked over to Ayla. He sat down on the same rock she rested on, and he put his arm over her shoulder as he did hundreds of times to anyone who was depressed. "I felt you call out for me. That's why I came. I knew that something was bothering you. I came to help, if only in some obscure way."

Have you ever realized that you were dreaming, and in doing so you were able to control it? You had no inhibitions or fears because you knew it wasn't real? Ayla had that ability to do whatever she wanted, and at that moment she wanted to put her head on his shoulder as he ran his fingers through her hair. It felt so wonderfully real that it could be confused with reality. Her heart fluttered as she felt the safest she had felt in months. "What has been troubling you, Ayla?"

"You've been gone. That's what has been troubling me." Her eyes were shut tight as he held her close.

Crono shook his head, nuzzling Ayla's hair with his cheek. "No. That's not it. I know something even deeper and more fearful is troubling you." It was uncanny. It seemed as if that would be the same thing Crono would do in that situation. Ayla was true to herself as she frowned at the thought of discussing something so disturbing while she had her love with her for such a limited time. She embraced him tightly, with her head resting on his chest. "You're here. That's enough for me." She held him so tight, not wanting to let him go again. Crono chuckled, "Ayla…hee, hee…um…I can't breathe." Ayla squeaked in surprise as she loosened her grip, but still keeping her arms around him. "I'm sorry. I just don't want you to disappear on me." That was true, and he felt so warm like it was the only thing that could keep her that way.

"I don't want to leave you either, but we need to talk before I do. I don't want to leave without helping you first."

"Crono…Please. Let's just stay like this…Please…"

Crono's arms, which had encircled Ayla as well, searched for her arms and he unhooked himself from her grasp gently. She was now looking straight into those twinkling green eyes. It was such a beautiful color that she wondered why she hadn't noticed them sooner. "You will feel better when we address it. You are going through something that you never went through before. Please, let me help you. Tell what you dream of so much. What frightens you?" Ayla was unable to keep gazing at his eyes. She didn't want to refuse him, but she simply didn't want to waste her time with him talking about herself. (Especially talking about her worst fear). His hand found her chin and he lifted it so it met his gaze again. She smiled tearfully. "Why did you have to die? Why did you sacrifice yourself?"

"I did it to save you and everyone." He whispered.

She looked at him and stammered, "I would've done it. I would've tried to save everyone if I could. I didn't worry about dying."

"But you do now."

"Yes…" She said quietly.

Crono began to stroke her hair affectionately as he sat facing her. "It is completely normal. At some point in time, everyone fears it. Even you will have to fear it." She looked at him and said, "I don't want to fear it. Before I met you, I had nothing to be afraid of in this life. Once I realized that you were stronger, and when I saw you die, I realized I could too. I had become weak." She lowered her head as a few tears streamed down her cheek. Both of Crono's hands were wrapped around her neck as he kissed her forehead and rested his own against hers. "No you haven't. By knowing you can die, you have grown stronger."

"What do you mean?"

He sighed as he thought of the best way to put it. "When you have no fears, you don't know your limitations. Did you ever stop to think why we go through such sad experiences?" Ayla nodded and replied that she did at times. "I'll tell you why. Imagine if we went through our whole lives with no problems or any troubles. Imagine if from the moment we were born we had everything we wanted…Do you think we would truly be happy?" Ayla scoffed (not scornfully mind you) as she replied, "Of course we would!" Crono pet her hair again, "Would we? I wonder about that sometimes. How would we know the difference between sadness from happiness if we were happy all the time? If we were given nothing but happiness, it would only be normal to us and we wouldn't appreciate it. Do you ever notice how much better a good experience is just after a bad one?" Ayla nodded, finally understanding what he meant, "Yeah. Just like my nightmare, and now I'm having this dream."

Crono smiled, "Yes. That's right. Now that you are afraid of death, now that you have something to live for, you are more willing to fight for that right to live. You want to live on, so you are more determined now than when you thought you could never die. You experience regret because you were never able to tell me how you feel about us. Would you do that again, knowing full well that life is short?" Ayla whimpered, these words having a little more pain than she expected, but she knew all at once that it was true. "I should have told you…" she said, quietly.

Suddenly, it was Crono that kissed her.

Ayla felt so much bliss that she thought nothing would be able to surpass it. He felt so warm and gentle. She felt so loved and cared for and wished that she never had to wake up. Her stomach felt like it rose within her and she felt such a swelling sensation within her that she thought she would faint for joy. Finally they parted and Crono looked at her with a look that showed such compassion, "Don't worry. A part of me always knew…" They kissed again. Ayla continued to weep as they kissed and embraced. They parted again and she whispered to him, "I wish we had more time…"

Crono looked melancholy as he stared at her. He wiped away her tears as he said, "Ayla, there is a possibility that the Chrono Trigger won't work." Ayla shook her head vigorously, but Crono continued, "Do not forget what I told you. Even though I may not have more time, you still do. Seek out happiness, but remember that to appreciate happiness, you have to go through hardship. Do not fear death, because it is not the end. This is only the beginning. Always remember this…Whatever will be, will be." He held her close and she felt the calm rhythm of his heartbeat as he breathed softly into her ear. "I love you Ayla."

"I love you too, Crono."

They continued to kiss and hold each other, Ayla pushing him back so that they fell to the ground. She closed her eyes and it felt as if the world began to spin and when she opened her eyes she was back inside her tent. The dream had ended. A sense of sadness and longing came over her as it came to a close. That strong feeling of love was within her still and she tried her hardest to hold onto that emotion. Her pillow was wet with tears, but she felt comfortable and warm. She reflected on the dream again and again, still seeing and feeling it vividly. She clutched her pillow and whispered the name of her love. The fear of death (although she didn't realize it all at once) had fled from her and she remembered his promise that there was something after this. She smiled and went to sleep, and she never had that horrible dream ever again.

Now you may wonder if she only conquered her own fear using her memory of Crono as a catalyst or if there was supernatural intervention. You would not be alone; Ayla wondered that the very next day. She was not able to tell her friends of her dream, knowing that the other women felt the same as she did towards Crono. Instead, she held every word he said in her heart and reflected on it again and again. Her love for Crono deepened as she said to herself, "Even in death he is still loving and helping me." She longed for the day when she could finally express her love. She desperately hoped that one day that opportunity would present itself. She hoped that Crono would have some recollection of her dream if it was indeed his spirit guiding her and not her mind. (Besides, hadn't Toma done the same when they found his grave?)

"Ayla? Are you okay?" A voice called out to her.

Ayla looked above her as they scaled the slippery slopes of Death Peak. Lucca looked away from her binoculars and peered down at Ayla. A look of worry was over her face. Ayla shook her head as she said, "No, I am fine. There is a lot on my mind." Lucca nodded in agreement, "I know how you feel. I am excited, but I'm frightfully nervous. I don't know what to expect when we get to the top of Death Peak."

Ayla smiled softly, "Whatever will be, will be."

A look of surprise and amusement came over Lucca's face. She laughed and Ayla smiled at her as she did so. "What is so funny Lucca? What did I say?" Lucca grabbed her stomach and quieted herself. "You just brought back a funny memory." Lucca said. This happened to pique Ayla's curiosity. "Well, what is it? What's the story?" Ayla climbed up as Lucca offered her a helping hand. As she pulled herself up the ledge, the two sat down, letting their feet dangle over the side. "Well, it happened when I was little. I was always a bit of a tomboy, so I would play baseball with the boys. Well, I was pitching and Crono came up to bat! I was a little nervous because when it came to batting…whew…nothing could get by him. I gathered up my courage and I gave the wildest wind-up pitch I ever had. Everyone was amazed when he hit it…up and up it went…and the next thing we heard was a broken window." Ayla laughed and they both rocked back and forth.

Ayla cocked her head, a smile still on her face, "So why did you remember that when I said what I said?" Lucca motioned for her to slow down, "I'm getting to it, I'm getting to it." She straightened out her glasses and continued. "Well, all the kids began to run, but Crono was always a good person. I yelled at him and told him that he would get in big trouble. He simply said, 'whatever will be, will be.'" Ayla grew more serious now as Lucca continued, "It turned out that the owner wasn't mad at all! His mother-in-law was in town and she wouldn't stop griping about how small his store was. At that moment…conk! The baseball knocked her out cold! He actually got a lollipop for it!" She smiled fondly as she remembered distant times. "Ever since that day, he would always say that…But… That's strange…" Ayla looked at her, "What is it?" Lucca looked back with a strange countenance, "I don't remember him ever saying that to you."

Ayla leaned back and reflected on the story. She realized that while she was awake, she never heard such an expression leave his mouth. Yet, here was his friend telling her that it was something he said often. It was at that moment that Ayla strongly suspected that it was more than just a dream her mind created. A strong feeling of hope grew inside her and she looked towards the peak. "Let's go." She said, "We need to get to that peak before sundown." Ayla quickly began to scale the mountain, finding Marle who was scouting the trail ahead. She made her way up, almost as if she knew every step of the way.

"_The Chrono Trigger will work…_" Ayla thought to herself, "_I just know it will…_"

Author's note: I do not own Chrono Trigger or any of the characters. They are all owned by Squaresoft. I hope that my story was honestly romantic and poignant and not overly-dramatic. I would appreciate reviews, suggustions, and comments. I think I might want to make an epilogue to this, but all in due time.


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